RUSSIAS REGIONS Mapping vegetation zones Lesson 2 Starter

RUSSIA’S REGIONS Mapping vegetation zones Lesson 2 Starter

RUSSIA’S REGIONS • The land surface of Planet Earth can be divided up into a number of large regions, named after the dominant vegetation type (such as forest) or landscape (such as desert) • These regions are called biomes • Russia is such a large country that many of the major biomes can be found there

GLOBAL BIOMES

RUSSIA’S BIOMES ? ? ü ü ? Later in the lesson you will be asked to identify the biomes found in Russia Don’t forget the small brown-coloured area by the Caspian Sea

HOT DESERT Russia has tiny pockets of true desert • Look for this on the map close to the Caspian Sea •

GRASSLAND (STEPPE) • • Russia’s grasslands Traditionally, the Cossack people travelled on horseback

DECIDUOUS FOREST This Russian biome is shared with the UK • Where is the nearest deciduous forest to where you live? •

CONIFEROUS FOREST Much of Russia is covered with this vegetation • Also called boreal forest or taiga •

ARCTIC TUNDRA • • Too cold for trees The ground is frozen, this is called permafrost

THAWING TUNDRA In Spring, the surface active layer thaws • The ground becomes boggy and difficult to travel on, or build on •

POLAR DESERT Hot desert is found in the far south of Russia • Whereas, polar desert is found in the far north of Russia •

EDGE OF THE ICE SHEET Can you see the houses? They give you an idea of the scale of this image • Quite literally, this is the edge of the world! •

URAL MOUNTAINS The environment in Russia changes because of altitude as well as latitude • We studied the Ural Mountains last lesson •

ALPINE VEGETATION Mountains have their own biome: alpine tundra • Strong winds result in low -lying vegetation •

AMAZING LANDSCAPES This is a river in northern Siberia • Few people have ever visited here •

AMAZING LANDSCAPES In tundra regions, patterned ground can be seen • Physical processes produce shapes called polygons, many metres wide •

CRUEL LANDSCAPE During the years of the Soviet Union, prisons were built in tundra regions, called gulags • The remains of a gulag can be seen here •

CLIMATE CHANGE Melting ice Arctic ice is thinning and breaks up sooner each year Might it be gone altogether by the end of the century?

CLIMATE CHANGE Melting tundra Scientists are concerned with methane release Retreating tree line Is the boreal (taiga) forest marching northwards?

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